By South Dakota’s graduating class of 2024 scored an average overall ACT score of 21.1, surpassing the national average by nearly two points and ranking highest among neighboring states.
The ACT, a standardized test used for college admissions in the U.S. for decades, assesses students’ overall skills in English, mathematics, reading and science.
In South Dakota, 58% of 2024 graduates took the ACT. Among those with a preferred college location, nearly three-quarters indicated they would stay in-state for their post-high school education.
Graves
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“These numbers indicate that schools in South Dakota are doing a solid job of preparing students to attend college,” South Dakota Education Secretary Joe Graves said. “The fact that an overwhelming majority of our graduating seniors are electing to attend college in the state speaks to the quality of postsecondary education in South Dakota and to the opportunities available to students after they graduate.”
South Dakota’s average score of 21.1 matches last year’s mark. Of the 6,097 students who took the test, seven earned a perfect score of 36. And 28% of test-takers met college readiness benchmarks in all four subject areas, compared to just 20% nationally. Health sciences and technology ranked as the most common planned field of study for students, followed closely by business.
The national average ACT score this year was 19.4. South Dakota’s highest in the last five years was in 2020, when the average score was 21.7.
While the ACT remains optional for students pursuing higher education here, it will become mandatory for all South Dakota juniors in 2026, replacing existing state assessment tests.